KM Group – The biggest and the best

KM Group has cemented its position as the biggest publisher in Kent, according to the latest circulation figures.

The group, Kent’s only independent newspaper publisher, circulates an average 368,985 copies of its award-winning newspapers each week. That’s 41% - almost 108,000 - more copies than all its audited competitors combined! (1)

Figures also confirm KentOnline is the only ABCe audited website for Kent, attracting an average of 292,216 unique browsers every month. That’s up a staggering 26% on the previous year.(2) In January, KentOnline was named Shepherd Neame News Service of the Year for 2010.

In addition to this, according to the latest RAJAR data, 178,000 people listen to kmfm radio stations every week, up 8% on the previous year. This includes a unique audience of 92,000 adults who do not listen to any other station. (3)

Key information about KM Group newspapers

Canterbury and the surrounding area

• On average, for the overall Canterbury, Whitstable, Herne Bay and Faversham area, KM Group circulates 34% more newspapers weekly than its nearest competitor. (4)
• The Kentish Gazette Group is the current EDF Newspaper of the Year and outsells its nearest competitor by nearly 6 copies to 1. (5)
• On average, the KM Group circulates 58% more paid and free newspapers combined weekly than its nearest competitor in Canterbury. (6)
• On average, the Faversham News sells 71% more copies a week than its nearest competitor.(7)
• On average, the KM Group circulates 13% more paid and free newspapers combined weekly than its nearest competitor in Herne Bay.(8)
• On average, the KM Group circulates 22% more paid and free newspapers combined weekly than its nearest competitor in Whitstable.(9)

Dartford and Gravesend

• Dartford Messenger is now the only paid newspaper dedicated to the Dartford area.
• On average, Messenger Extra circulates 38% more free copies than its nearest competitor – that’s more than 11,000 extra newspapers every week. (10) 

• Gravesend Messenger is now the only paid newspaper dedicated to and based in Gravesend.

• Gravesend & Dartford Messenger has won the Shepherd Neame Campaign of the Year award for the past two years.

Maidstone

• The Kent Messenger series is the largest weekday-selling weekly newspaper in the UK and the largest selling weekly newspaper in the south. An average 40,010 copies of the Kent Messenger are sold each week, making it the largest-selling weekly newspaper for Kent.*
• The Maidstone Extra is the only audited free newspaper for the Maidstone area circulating an average of 28,056 copies weekly.*

Medway

• On average, the KM Group circulates 23% more newspapers in the Medway area than its nearest competitor – that’s more than 12,600 extra copies a week. (11)
• KM Group’s Medway Messenger (Monday) sells twice as many copies as its nearest competitor. (12) 

Sittingbourne and Sheppey

• On average, the KM Group circulates 38% more newspapers in the Sittingbourne and Sheerness area than its nearest competitor – that’s more than 5,500 extra copies a week. (13)

South East Kent (Ashford, Folkestone, Dover and Deal)

• For the South East Kent area, KM Group circulates an average 72% more newspapers in the marketplace than its nearest competitor each week. (14)
• On average, the Ashford edition of the Kentish Express sells 11,370 more copies than its nearest competitor. (15)
• On average the East Kent Mercury (Deal Edition) sells 8,815 more copies than its nearest paid competitor in the Deal and Sandwich area. (16)
• On average, the Folkestone Extra circulates 36% more copies than the Folkestone Herald each week. (17)

* ABC (Jul–Dec 2010)

(February 25, 2011)

1: KM Group circulates an average of 368,985 (108,065 paid, 260,920 free) newspapers weekly and the combined audited circulation of competitors is a weekly average of 261,035 (74,213 paid, 186,822 free). (Publisher statement)

2: ABCe (Jul–Dec 2010)

3: RAJAR (Q4 2010)

4: KM Group circulates an average of 65,124 (46,871 free, 18,253 paid) newspapers weekly and the nearest competitor circulates an average 48,546 (45,393 free, 3,153 paid) weekly. (Publisher statement)

5: Kentish Gazette Group circulates an average 18,253 (100% paid) newspapers weekly and the nearest competitor circulates an average 48,546 (45,393 free, 3,153 paid) weekly.*

6: KM Group circulates an average 27,977 (10,606 paid, 17,371 free) newspaper weekly and the audited circulation of the competitor is a weekly average of 17,668 (8 paid, 17,660 free). (Publisher statement)

7: Faversham News circulates an average 2,827 (100% paid) copies weekly. The nearest competitor’s Faversham edition circulates an average 1,647 of 48,546 (45,393 free, 3,153 paid) in Faversham weekly.*

8: Herne Bay Gazette circulates an average of 2,922 (100% paid) copies weekly and the Herne Bay Extra (an edition of Canterbury Extra (Series) 100% free) circulates an average 15,602 copies weekly. The nearest competitor circulates an average 48,546 copies weekly of which 16,356 (16,002 free, 356 paid) are in Herne Bay. (Publisher statement)

9: KM Group circulates an average of 15,796 (1,898 paid, 13,898 free) weekly and the combined weekly average audited circulation of competitors is 12,873 (1,142 paid, 11,731 free). (Publisher statement)

10: Messenger Extra circulates an average of 39,835 (100% free) copies weekly and the nearest competitor circulates an average 28,745 (28,542 free, 203 paid) weekly.*

11: KM Group circulates an average 66,211 (9,252 paid, 56,959 free) newspapers weekly and the combined average weekly audited circulation of competitors is 53,554 (4,254 paid, 49,300 free). (Publisher statement)

12: Medway Messenger (Monday) circulates an average of 9,252 copies each week (100% paid). The nearest competitor circulates an average 53,554 (4,254 paid, 49,300 free) each week.*

13: Each week, KM Group circulates an average 12,681 copies of Sittingbourne Extra (100% free) and an average 7,253 copies of Sheerness Times Guardian (100% paid). East Kent Gazette circulates an average of 14,362 (57% free – 6,167 free, 8,195 paid) copies each week.*

14: KM Group circulates an average of 64,077 (28,070 paid, 36,007 free) copies weekly and the combined average weekly audited circulation of competitors is 37,153 (17,820 paid, 19,333 free). (Publisher statement)

15: KM Group circulates an average of 11,374 paid newspapers weekly and the combined average weekly audited circulation of paid competitors is 4 (in addition to 1,350 free copies). (Publisher statement)

16: KM Group circulates an average of 9,030 paid newspapers each week and the nearest competitor circulates an average 215 (in addition to 13,608 free copies) each week. (Publisher statement)

17: KM Extra (Folkestone & Ashford) (Series) circulates an average of 36,007 (100% free) newspapers each week (Folkestone & Hythe Extra: 21,784, Ashford Extra: 14,223). Folkestone Herald (64.1% paid) circulates an average of 15,960 (10,235 paid, 5,725 free) copies each week.*